


Your Fickle Friends Are Leaving

by paperwar



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-21
Updated: 2011-05-21
Packaged: 2017-10-21 05:16:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/221328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperwar/pseuds/paperwar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He's interesting," Misuzu admitted. "I'll play with him for now." He tossed his head, setting the bell in his ear jingling, and added, "Besides, he won't be around for much longer."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Fickle Friends Are Leaving

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Natsume Yuujinchou comment meme](http://natsumeyuujinchou.dreamwidth.org/7316.html).
> 
> Title from Fairport Convention's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?"

"He doesn't have the strength she did," came Misuzu's rumble.

Hinoe tilted her head up at him, sprawled on the grass next to her. She blew her pipe smoke off to one side and said, "I think he might have a different kind of strength."

"He's interesting," he admitted. "I'll play with him for now." He tossed his head, setting the bell in his ear jingling, and added, "Besides, he won't be around for much longer."

Hinoe gave him a sharp look. "What are you planning?"

His deep laugh sent a tremor through her chest. "Nothing. But he's a human. We only have to wait."

"You're so cold, Misuzu. I used to be that cold, I think." She smiled tightly. "It does make things easier." Brushing at nonexistent specks of dirt on her clothes, she said, "He's definitely not Reiko!"

"No, Reiko wasn't so interesting. Although she was more dangerous." He grinned. "That made her more fun. But she was predictable." He shook his mane again and said, "This one thinks he can understand youkai, if only he tries hard enough."

Hinoe snorted. "Reiko didn't want to understand youkai."

"She liked to keep things simple. This one complicates things," Misuzu said. "That's why I let him hold my name."

"It's all a game, isn't it?" Hinoe sighed. "At least some of them are amusing, for a moment or two."

Misuzu took his leave after that, leaping into the air, mane streaming behind him as he rushed off on some unspecified errand.

Hinoe adjusted her hair pin and relit her pipe. She stayed on the grass for a while longer, thinking about the nerve humans had, to die so quickly.


End file.
